


just a kid, life is a nightmare

by inmyhead404



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Minecraft Youtubers
Genre: Angst, Dialogue Heavy, Dream Smp, Gen, I'm Bad At Tagging, dream smp election aftermath, dream team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:21:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27039391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inmyhead404/pseuds/inmyhead404
Summary: Schlatt has thrown a festival is Manberg, and Tommy has to do anything possible to stop Wilbur from blowing everything up. How far will he go?
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 159





	just a kid, life is a nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> i'd like to preface this with a few things. first: cw // mentions of guns, death
> 
> second: i hope my depiction of wilbur isn't too harsh! please keep in mind i wrote this as a fun thing and totally love where he's going with the story, and this isn't some weird backalley attack on him
> 
> third: i haven't been writing lately so this might be rusty :) i just wrote this for fun and thought i might as well post it! if you read it i hope you enjoy it!

Tommy had always known two things about trustworthiness to be absolutely true: One, Americans were to never be trusted, ever, and two, Wilbur Soot will always have his trust. These were unwavering truths.

The thing about Americans was obvious, no explanation needed. But, he knew some might contest that Wilbur wasn’t the best person to be loyal to. Sure, L’Manberg started just so Wilbur could sell drugs without being stopped, but who cared? Tommy was by his side, from the drug alley, to the declaration, to liberation. He supported him through everything, and there wasn’t a single thing that would deter that loyalty.

At least, that’s what he used to think.

He was trying to remind himself of all the good that was inside of Wilbur, trying to remember the tone of his voice as he said, “I’m so fucking proud of you, Tommy.” He needed something to drown out the words swimming in his head:  _ You will never be president. Let’s burn this place to the fucking ground. If I can’t have L’Manberg, then no one can _ . Never had Tommy heard him speak like that before, not even to Dream. And, above all, that look he had in his eyes-- void of joy, of hope, of everything Tommy admired.

All week, he’d been trying to decide on what he was going to do. Side with Wilbur, blow up Manberg-- blow up the land they fought for, and all the history with it. Stop Wilbur-- lose his most important ally, and Schlatt is still in charge. Maybe he should just say fuck it and run away with Tubbo, and build that cottage in the woods where they can hide forever. They’d be free of it all. Maybe they could get a pet cow, and name it Henry Jr. That’d be nice, he thought.

No. Knowing and not stopping it would mean he’s still complicit. All of his friends, Nikki, Fundy, and even Quackity, would be dead. And no matter how much anger he felt towards Schlatt, Tommy didn’t think he deserved that fate. 

He felt sick. A bead of sweat fell down his cheek, and as he rose from his seat in Pogtopia, he felt his legs shake. Wilbur would be able to sense his anxiousness. He’d talk his way into Tommy’s vulnerable mind, knowing exactly what to say to convince him to help. Tommy still had to try and talk to him.

_ Talk _ \-- he wasn’t going to hurt or kill him. That’d make Tommy just as bad as Wilbur and Schlatt.

Tommy winced. Wilbur was  _ not _ a bad guy, and Tommy needed to stop thinking otherwise. He could still be saved. Everyone could be saved, if Tommy did everything perfectly. 

Noticing the time, he started to collect his things, making sure his sword was on full durability and that he had plenty of arrows. His hands quivered over his pile of armour--  _ We don’t wear armour in L’Manberg,  _ he remembered Wilbur’s voice-- before he equipped it. Ten minutes before the festival starts. At the very least, he had half an hour before Tubbo’s speech.

All he had to do was find Wilbur and convince him to step down in thirty minutes. Easy. 

Tommy left their home base, not covering the door with dirt after he left. As he started towards Manberg, he thought of places Wilbur could be hiding. If it was him, Tommy would’ve gone up to Eret’s tower. It had a perfect view of everything, but how would you activate TNT that’s supposed to blow up the ground from all the way up there? Maybe someone else was going to press the button.

Dread filled the pit in his stomach. If Techno was in support of this plan, then there was no stopping this.

He attempted to brainstorm other places Wilbur could be, but was drawing blanks. If he was somewhere in the ground, Tommy wasn’t sure if he would even be able to find him.

He had to stop thinking so negatively like that. He was  _ awesome _ and he was a  _ genius  _ and defeated  _ Dream _ , several times. All of those things were true, Tommy knew, so he kept repeating them to avoid any other thoughts. Awesome. Genius. Better than Dream. He could do this.

As he approached Eret’s tower, he started crouching. If one person saw him, they’d all be doomed. Tommy snuck through the open door and ran to the ladders to hastily pull himself up. Even if Wilbur wasn’t up there, he could possibly spot him from a bird’s eye view.

Landing on the balcony, Tommy moved close to the edge. He looked down in awe. Everyone seemed so happy. Tubbo was walking up to everyone handing out stickers, and although he couldn’t see what was on them, Tommy assumed they were some kind of “I was here!” token; Karl, Quackity, and HBomb were dancing on Party Island; Ponk, Punz and Callahan were playing with the Dunk Tank; Bad and Skeppy were skating on the ice rink; even Dream, George, and Sapnap were there at the wrestling ring. Then, there was Schlatt, who was talking to Fundy about something. 

He wanted to smile-- all these people, most of them he had fond memories with, enjoying their time together, and he wished he could join in. But, as soon as the desire to smile came, it faded as he remembered: they could all be gone soon, if Tommy didn’t do something.

Looking back down at the festival grounds, he realized something. No Nihachu, no Technoblade, and no Wilbur. He fished binoculars out of his inventory to take a closer look. Tommy scanned over every square inch, lingering on Tubbo as he walked up to the podium next to Schlatt.  _ Please, not yet _ , he thought. Relief flooded him as he watched Tubbo place a sticker on Schlatt’s suit jacket, and even from yards away, Tommy could hear his booming voice say, “Thank you, Tubbo.” 

Part of him felt like this was the last time. He couldn’t put into words what “last time” meant, but his heart was beating faster than it ever had before as he looked at the crowd below. Was it regret? Regret that he hadn’t been a little less annoying, regret that he didn’t get to spend time with everyone? Or was it fear? Fear that he’d never see them again, that he’d fail, or that Wilbur would commit the ultimate betrayal and Tommy wouldn’t live to see the next day? 

No. Tommy was awesome. Tommy was a genius. Tommy was better than Dream. Tommy would save the day, and he and Tubbo and everyone else would be able to live together in Manberg  _ with _ Wilbur.

Suddenly, he received a message from Wilbur.  _ I see you up there _ , it read.  _ Are you on my side? _

He took shallow breaths as he responded. _ Always _ .

There was a pause before his next message, long enough to make Tommy think that Wilbur didn’t believe him. But then he sent:  _ Dig under the Camarvan _ .

With one last look towards Tubbo on stage, who was helping Fundy with mic checks, Tommy took out a handful of potions. He downed an invisibility, followed by swiftness, and as a precaution, strength. Just in case.

He started down the ladder and to the Camarvan, taking the long way by passing Nikki’s bakery. With each step, the pressure built and built. Everyone, whether they knew it or not, was counting on him. He had never experienced that before-- the only people to have ever really put faith in him before were Wilbur and Tubbo. And the extreme promotion was starting to weigh on him.

Nevertheless, Tommy was starting to believe in himself as he repeated his mantra. He was approaching the Camarvan, and before he started to dig at the ground below, he started to look around. Mainly, he was trying to make sure no one would be able to spot his shovel. However, he also wanted one last look. One last look at everything they built, all the memories, and tried to get a good view of his best friend, just one last time, but alas, there were buildings in his way.

Whatever. It didn’t matter. Tommy would be able to see this all again with Wilbur by his side and Tubbo would greet them and give them hugs like the clingy kid he was.

He started digging, and after finding a hollow spot, peered over it. A torch lit the area, and even from his limited viewpoint, the amount of TNT was daunting. Tommy braced himself before dropping down.

The thud of his feet landing echoed. The room wasn’t very large, only enough to walk around, plus, down a corridor, a ladder that Tommy assumed would give you a view of the festival. The corridor itself, and the walls and the floors, was riddled with TNT, and he assumed there was more hidden. Wilbur sat on the ground next to the ladder, fiddling with a lighter.

“Tommy,” he said, his voice deeper than he remembered. “Glad you could join us.”

“Us?” Tommy replied, as if it was important. At that moment, his invisibility started to fade.

Wilbur nodded. The flame in front of his lit his face. “Techno’s waiting with a bow and arrow for my command. Nikki’s getting resources for our new country.”

He blinked, taken aback. “Nikki’s on board with this plan?”

“Well,” the older man responded as he stood up. “She doesn’t know the specifics. All she knows is that in under an hour, I will be back in charge. Will you be there next to me, Tommy?”

“I always have been.” His voice was shaking, and Wilbur certainly noticed. His eyebrows raised and a smile appeared.

“That wasn’t a yes, Tommy. I know you well enough to realize when you’re hiding something from me. You can’t even look me in the eyes.” Wilbur began moving towards him, his hands behind his back, in a manner so calm you would’ve guessed it was just any random day. 

Tommy made eye contact, desperately wanting to break away instantly. His usually soft eyes were intense, like a switch had gone off, and he wasn’t even the same person. “It is a yes.”

Wilbur  _ tsked _ . “Stop lying to me, Tommy. I know you aren’t on board with this plan, so don’t patronize me. Tell me the truth.”

The minimal amount of preparation Tommy had done was completely wiped away, his brain a clean slate. “Truth? I think this is a dumb idea. You’re going to get everyone killed. Even yourself.”

“Oh, I’ll be fine. If you go down that ladder, there’s an obsidian box where I’m going to hide. Now, everyone else is a different story. Dream, Techno, Nikki, and whoever has good nethrite armor, probably will live another day. The rest of them? Not so much.”

“What about Tubbo?” Tommy demanded.

“ _ Tubbo _ .” The word left Wilbur’s mouth like it was acidic. “Have you seen how close he’s gotten with Schlatt? Have you noticed all the secrets he hides from us? But, hey, if Tubbo lives,” his hands folded over his heart, “I’ll be the first to celebrate that.”

“What’s gotten into you, man? Tubbo has never betrayed us. And you’re content with killing Fundy, your  _ son _ , and everyone else?”

Wilbur laughed manically. “What don’t you get, Tommy? They have  _ all _ betrayed us. All of them, by just being up there and celebrating that man. Face it, Tommy, this--” he gestured to the TNT, “--this is the only way. We start completely anew. Nothing will ever hold us back again.”

Tommy tried to wrap his head around what Wilbur just said. None of it was making sense. He’d never be able to understand how this was the same man as the L’Manberg president.

Meanwhile, above them, he heard a familiar voice. “Citizens of Manberg!” Schlatt started. “Welcome!”

In front of him, Wilbur gasped. “The show is starting soon.”

“Wilbur, don’t do this,” Tommy blurted. “Anything but this. We could just overthrow him! We have more supporters than him! This is the one thing that is irredemable, Wilbur. Anything but this.”

Excitement plagued Wilbur’s face. “I’ll say it again, Tommy,” he chuckled, “this is why you will never be president. You will never be able to make the hard decisions. You think with your heart, not your brain. I say that Tubbo might be killed in the blast and you’re ready to pull your crossbow out.”  _ How did he know that? _ Tommy thought. “You’re steadfast, you’re rash, you’re just a kid. You won’t even be able to understand why I’m doing this.”

“I’m mature enough. Maybe more than you, since I’m trying the pacifist route.” Schlatt outside was still giving his speech, which meant Tommy still had time.

“You are anything but a pacifist. How many times must I say it? I  _ know  _ you. You want glory. You want to be remembered. It’s why you’ve started so many wars, Tommy-- no one can write you out of history if you’ve been involved in it all. What if I told you that this would make it so you are remembered for the rest of time?”

“We’ll be remembered as tyrants.”

Wilbur shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. That depends on who lives, who dies, and who gets to tell this story. If it’s us-- and trust me, it’ll be us-- we will forever be remembered as  _ heroes _ . Heroes who saved L’Manberg from the oppressive government under Schlatt and all of his crazy supporters. We will be praised, Tommy. Isn’t that what you want?”

Tommy gulped. He felt cornered, like there was no way out. He wished he’d just ran away with Tubbo and built that stupid cabin. 

He did the only thing that made any sense: pulling out his loaded crossbow and pointing it at Wilbur. The man in front of him didn’t even flinch. “Predictable, Tommy. You aren’t going to shoot me.”

“Don’t test me,” he threatened. Wilbur was right, he wasn’t planning on shooting him. Still, Tommy felt his blood boiling the longer Wilbur talked, and he wasn’t sure when he was going to reach his breaking point.

“Alright, Tommy,” he said in a condescending tone. “Can you shut up so I can hear Schlatt?”

“No. I will never shut up, and if you knew me so well, you would’ve known that. And, if you keep pushing me, I’ll shoot you. I will do it.”

Wilbur let out an annoyed groan. “You are insufferable, Tommy. Look beyond yourself and your feelings. You think all of this is about you. You gave up  _ your  _ discs.  _ You _ got independance for L’Manberg.  _ You _ want to ‘save’ everyone from the explosion. Listen to me loud and clear: none of that matters. Once you realize that, you’ll regret pointing that weapon at me.”

“Then what does matter, Wilbur? Tell me that. Is it friendship? Family? What is it?” Tommy heard Schlatt say his final words, and could hear Tubbo’s name being called. He needed to keep Wilbur distracted.

“Power, Tommy. Power matters. I was happiest when I was on top, and deep down, you feel the same way. That’s why Dream always has that stupid smile on his face all the time. That’s why Schlatt feels so untouchable. I do this, I get power back. I will get  _ more _ power.  _ That _ matters.”

Tommy tried to find his argument, but was tongue tied. Wilbur was right about one thing: he was just a kid. A kid who was holding essentially a gun to his mentor’s head. It always comes to this, with everyone Tommy has looked up to or confided in: Dream, Techno, Schlatt, and now Wilbur. The only person who would never betray Tommy was standing up on that stage. 

Wilbur was being selfish. He was taking the chance at what he wanted most for himself and wasn’t going to let anyone stand in his way. Tommy was very quickly realizing he needed to be selfish himself, but wasn’t sure if he could bring himself to do it.

“I haven’t know Schlatt for very long,” he could hear Tubbo say. “But he’s just a wonderful guy! Right? I think so. I think he’s been wonderful for Manberg, too.”

“I’ll give you one more chance,” Tommy threatened. 

“Tempting.” Wilbur rolled his eyes. “I’ll give  _ you _ a chance to hide in my bunker with me, how about that?”

He tightened the grip on his crossbow. He could hear Tubbo contnuing to talk about how much Manberg has prospered under Schlatt, and could tell Wilbur was being driven off the rails because of it. Whilst looking Tommy in the eyes, he turned on the lighter. “Don’t do this,” Tommy pleaded.

“Or what? Are you really going to shoot me? You think your precious Tubbo would ever forgive you?”

“It doesn’t matter if he forgives me. It just matters that he’s alive.”

Tommy felt a tear well up in his eye. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this-- he was supposed to be badass, and he was supposed to convince Wilbur to back off. They were going to go back to Pogtopia together, they were going to come up with a plan to get their power back, and they were going to make L’Manberg better than ever. 

He couldn’t imagine a world without Wilbur. But, the Wilbur he knew was gone, wasn’t he? The man in front of him was just a shell of his former self. 

“You won’t, Tommy. I--”

“If you say ‘I know you,’ one more time, I will actually fucking shoot you.” He meant it, too. Tommy was a gasket, and either the TNT would blow, or he would.

Wilbur put his hands up. “I won’t say it. I will say, though, either you kill me, or I blow this place to the fucking ground.” He meant it. Tommy could tell.

“Ten,” Wilbur started counting. “Nine. Eight.”

The lighter flickered on again. Tommy let himself shed tears. Tubbo above was still talking.

“Seven. Six.”

Tommy remembered everything Wilbur had done to piss him off. Talked down to him, embarassed him, placed every fault onto Tommy’s shoulder.

“Five. Four.”

He remembered everything good Wilbur had done for him. It was too much to list. Together, they created a brotherhood, a bond that Tommy would never be able to shake. No matter what, he was always Wilbur. Just Wilbur.

“Three. Two.”

Tommy’s heart pumped in his ears. He had to do this.

Tubbo began to finish his speech. “I’d like to thank you all for coming, and Schlatt for this oppurtunity to--”

_ WilburSoot was shot by TommyInnit _

“Tommy?”


End file.
